The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (review)
AUTHOR
Christie, Agatha (Torquay, Devonshire 1891 - Wallingford, Oxford 1976), a British writer of detective novels, known for well-crafted plots full of surprises and featuring two original detective characters, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. After an unsuccessful first marriage, Agatha Christie married a well-known English archaeologist and frequently joined him on expeditions in Iraq and Syria, experiences she drew upon to create the settings and atmospheres of some of her novels, such as Appointment with Death (1930) and Murder in Mesopotamia. Poirot is particularly the hero of most of her works, from her first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) to her last, Curtain (1975), in which the character dies. Other notable titles include The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Murder on the Orient Express (1935), Death on the Nile (1937), and And Then There Were None (1939). She also had a successful career in theater, and her play The Mousetrap has been continuously running in London since 1952. Under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, she also wrote romance novels. Many films for cinema and television have been adapted from her plots.
PLOT
The protagonist of the story is a doctor named Sheppard, who lives in King’s Abbot, a small English village. One day, Roger Ackroyd, the wealthiest man in the village, is inexplicably murdered. Initially, the investigation is entrusted to a local detective, then to Poirot, a character who appears consistently in Agatha's novels. Poirot, an excellent detective, with the help of Doctor Sheppard, the first person who found the body, manages to reconstruct Roger's last evening and establish that the crime was committed between nine-thirty and ten o'clock. Initially, it is suspected that the culprit could be Parker, the butler, or Captain Paton, Roger’s nephew, who had not been heard from since the day of the crime. Later, small details emerge that increase the number of likely murderers, who were present at the villa that evening, such as the maid and the governess. Just when the investigation seems to be at a dead end, a young man who had asked Doctor Sheppard for directions to the villa on the night of the crime is arrested. With the capture of the presumed murderer, it seems that the long inquiry is over, but some witnesses swear that at the time of the murder the young man was elsewhere; thus, the investigation returns to square one. In the end, the tireless Poirot succeeds in finding the true murderer: a person who knew Mr. Ackroyd well, had some mechanical skills, and carried a black briefcase. Yes, it was indeed the ……. …….. who killed Mr. Ackroyd.
CHARACTERS
James Sheppard: the doctor who first discovers Mr. Ackroyd’s body. He writes notes on various events that occur; these notes later form this book.
Roger Ackroyd: the wealthiest gentleman in King’s Abbot, who is inexplicably murdered.
Hercule Poirot: the famous detective who appears in all of Agatha's novels.
Other minor characters include people living in the villa: Flora Ackroyd, Roger's niece, her mother Mrs. Ackroyd, Captain Ralph Paton, Roger's nephew, and Charles Blunt, Roger’s friend.
GENRE
This novel is a detective story, indeed involving a murder and the inevitable search for the murderer. The novel predominantly features dialogic and narrative sequences.
PAGES
The pages that interested me the most were those in the final chapters, where it becomes clear who the real culprit is (from chap. XXIV to chap. XXVII).
COMMENT
I really enjoyed this book primarily because detective novels are among my favorites. While the first few pages seem a bit monotonous, as one continues reading, one becomes engaged in discovering who really committed the crime. This novel has made me realize that reality is different from what it appears and that every person, even the least suspect, has something to hide that only they know; indeed, in this book, the murderer turns out to be the least suspected person.
